11 Awesome Futuristic Car Concepts

Concept cars are how manufacturers work out ideas for the future. Here are some of the coolest.

The world of driving is changing rapidly as technology carries us forwards in leaps and bounds. The 20th century didn't see much in the way of innovation—just stylistic changes and incremental increases in fuel economy. The 21st century is poised to be very different, however.

We've already seen electric cars become a major share of the market, and alternate form factors are starting to come to prominence. It's an exciting time for innovation in the automotive industry, and engineers are working at full force to make new ideas fit for the road.

Concept cars are how big manufacturers work out ideas for the future. They may never go into production—most don't—but the technology that they introduce will be integral years down the line. Some of the most vital innovations of recent years started out as concepts, so it's not a wild prediction to say that the concept cars of today will show up on the streets of tomorrow.

In this feature, we'll spotlight 11 concepts from real auto manufacturers—no design school pipe dreams here— that really push the envelope in technology and styling. Some of them may lay the groundwork for the cars of the future, while others might be forgotten. Either way, these are some seriously sweet rides.